Janis Machala, CEO Paladin Partners

Before founding Paladin Partners in 1995, Janis Machala served as president and CEO of Pinnacle Publishing, a leading provider of component software and technical newsletters for developers. After seven years of operating losses, Pinnacle achieved profitability for seven straight quarters under her leadership.

Prior to Pinnacle, Janis held senior management positions in marketing and business development at major technology companies, including Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, and Wang Laboratories, often working in a mentoring or start-up capacity.

She also helped form Seraph Capital Forum, a woman's angel investing group, and FWE Seattle, which supports women entrepreneurs. From 1994-1998, she served on the board of the Washington Software Alliance and is currently on the board of the Northwest Entrepreneur Network, which helps advance entrepreneurship in the Northwest.

Janis received an MBA in Marketing from the University of Iowa and a B.A. in English and Psychology from Augustana College in Illinois. In her spare time, she plays bridge, reads voraciously, and travels as much as possible